1. Welcome to BHS Cheerleading!!

2. Agenda Coaches Program goals Cheerleader expectations
Summer expectations
BHS Athletics
Varsity or JV
Tryout requirements/ expectations
Teacher Recommendations
Money
Answer questions

3. Coaches Laura Podolski- Head Coach Caroline Milne- JV Coach
Varsity coach, head of program
Coached at BHS for 5 years
6th /8th grade teacher in Lake Zurich
Caroline Milne- JV Coach
JV coach
Coached at BHS for 4 years
Biology teacher at BHS
Jason Pike- Tumbling Coach
Tumbling coach for JV and Varsity teams
Coached cheerleading for 3 years, gymnastics for 8 years

4. Program Goals
Our program focuses on the all- around athlete. We work hard to promote teamwork, responsibility in our community and dedication from all our athletes.

5. Program Goals
We have very high expectations, a non-negotiable set of team rules and we expect a high level of commitment.
This sounds strict, but this is how a strong program runs. Our varsity team won third in state last year based on high expectations!

6. Cheerleader Expectations
Full practices means 4-5 times per week plus games and volunteer activities within our community.
Full practices also means running, weight lifting, tumbling, jumping and conditioning at EVERY practice!!
Varsity cheerleaders practice over winter break! (Assigned days will be published in May for parents to sign off on.)
Full participation is expected at every practice, unless you have a doctor’s note excusing you from participation. Be prepared to work hard, take a few bumps and bruises, pick yourself up and keep going!

7. Time Commitment
It’s a big one! Here is what our January calendar looks like!
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday 1
OFF 2
-Practice 12-3 ggym 3
-Practice 9-12
Area 3 4
-Practice 1-3 5 6 7
Back to school!
-Practice 6-8 ggym 8
-Practice 3-5 9
-MSL Competition (V only)
6:30 pm
- JV attendance required 10
-Practice 3-4:45 11
-Away game vs. Fremd-G 12
**Competition at Elk Grove 13 14
-FINALS WEEK 15
-Practice 4-6
ggym 16
-Practice 4-6 ggym 17
-Practice 3-5 ggym 18
-Home game vs. Palatine-G
**JV/V perform comp routines at halftimes 19
**Competition at Grayslake North 20
**Competition at Jacobs 21
-Practice 1-3 pm
Area 5 22 23 24
-Practice 7-9
-Area 5 25
Away game vs. Schaumburg-G 26
**IHSA Sectional Competition-V
-JV attendance required 27 28
8-8:30 pm Area 3 29
-Practice 6-8 pm 30
-Practice 6-7 ggym
7-8 Area 3 31
-Practice 4-6 pm
-Leave for state

8. Summer Expectations
After tryouts, both teams begin practices on Wednesday nights through the end of the school year.
Both teams attend practices in June (run through BHS Summer School) held at BMS- Prairie.
Practices run June 15th - July 2nd
Monday- Thursday, 12:30-3 pm
Required for all members
Practices resume the week immediately prior to start of school.
**Conflict sheets due at tryouts!

9. Participation in sideline cheerleading
We cheer for
Boys’ football
Boys’ soccer
Boys’/ girls’ basketball.
We also have our own competitive season during basketball which is when we are considered at sport.

10. Competition Team
Making the cheerleading team next week does not guarantee that you will be on a competition team.
We have a varsity and JV competition team.
There are alternate positions on each team due to limits of # on the mat.
There is the possibility of movement between the teams at this point depending on advancement in the fall.
We hold tryouts for competition teams at the end of October among our members.

11. Competition Team Cheerleaders do not have to compete….personal choice.
We do ask that you disclose this at tryouts so we can work with the numbers we have.
Almost all our cheerleaders typically chose to compete.

12. Conflicts
You will always deal with time conflicts for other sports, activities and clubs. That is the reality of being a high schooler!! Being a cheerleader is a great privilege and you must be ready to take this responsibility. This means that other activities may not conflict with cheerleading commitments without a consequence. This includes:
BHS clubs
Outside/ club sports
Orchesis

13. Other Sports
FALL:Volleyball, Girls Tennis, Cross Country, Swimming, Golf, Poms
WINTER:Basketball, Gymnastics, Poms
SPRING: (May participate in spring sports, WHEN CHEERLEADING SEASON IS 100% COMPLETE) Softball, Track and Field, Soccer, Badminton, Water Polo, Lacrosse

14. Constitution and BHS Athletics
In an effort to GO GREEN we are posting some important documents on our website instead of printing them out. Please go to the tryouts link at and read each of the items below. Please sign the release form in your packet to affirm you have read these documents.
BHS Co-Curricular Code
Cheerleading Constitution/ Parent Constitution (same link)

15. Varsity or JV??
Varsity members for sideline cheerleading will mainly be juniors and seniors with a slight possibility for very advanced sophomores.
JV members may be freshman- juniors.
Almost every first year cheerleader at BHS is on JV.
Later in the season, any member is eligible for either competition team.

16. WHICH TEAM IS RIGHT FOR YOU??
This is partially your decision and partially our decision.
If we feel that your talent level is exceptional and we feel that being a member of varsity will be a great fit for you, we will put you on the varsity team!
If we feel that your talent is exceptional, but we also feel that there are skills that you need work on, JV may be the best fit for you!

17. Tryout Requirements
Junior Varsity Requirements- even if you fit these requirements, that does not guarantee a spot on JV.
Standing flip flop and roundoff flip flop thrown in tryouts.
Jump combination of cheerleader's choice of 2-4 connected jumps.  
Sideline cheer and competition style cheer (taught at tryouts).
Band dance and competition style dance (taught at tryouts).
Potential for some stunting.
We will look to take members total.

18. Tryout Requirements
Varsity Requirements- even if you fit these requirements, that does not guarantee a spot on varsity.
Minimum standing flip flop thrown in tryouts. Must be working on standing tuck and/ or flip flop tuck.
Running roundoff 2 flip flops thrown in tryouts. Preferably roundoff flip flop tuck.
Jump combination of cheerleader's choice of 2-4 connected jumps.  
Sideline cheer and competition style cheer (taught at tryouts).
Band dance and competition style dance (taught at tryouts).
Potential for some stunting.
We will look to take members total.

19. Tryout Requirements
Flyers will need to fulfill some additional requirements at tryouts.
Flyers for JV will need to demonstrate the following flexibility skills:
Liberty, heel stretch, arabesque, scale
Flyers for varsity will need to demonstrate the following flexibility skills:
All JV positions, plus a scorpion and overstretch
We will ask for these to be demonstrated on the ground, possibly in a stunt.

20. Evaluations Score will be 70% tryout, 30% evaluations Evaluations
Returning cheerleaders will receive an evaluation completed by their coach. This will count as 30% of tryout score.
New candidates will need to have a teacher/ coach evaluation filled out and returned by clinics on Wednesday night. This will count as 30% of tryout score.
Teacher/ coach evals help us learn about your work ethic, dedication, leadership skills and ability to represent our school positively.

21. Tryout Format Cheerleaders will tryout in a certain category each day.
4/15- Dance
4/16- Jumps and tumbling, possibly stunting
Tryouts will not be open to friends or parents.
Judges will be BHS coaches.
It is important for us to pick our own teams based on the potential we see in tryouts.
After tryouts, we will meet with each candidate as an individual or in small groups to discuss the tryout.
We will provide further information about meetings/ practices with candidates who do make the team.
We can share constructive criticism at this time if a candidate did not make either team.

22. Some Helpful Tips Some items to bring to clinics: Water bottle
Please remember to wear gym shoes/ cheerleading shoes to all clinics and tryouts.
Your hair should be up, no jewelry and no loose fitting clothing. Please be sure to remove all belly button rings (or other piercings) before arrival to tryouts.
WE HATE WISPIES!! Pin your hair back!
We are not responsible for any lost items.

23. Some Helpful Hints
DO YOUR BEST, NOT BE THE BEST!! Please do not let these tryouts stress you out and consume your whole week. If you do not do your best, make it a goal to work on your skills for next year.
We are looking for POSITIVE, ENTHUSIASTIC representatives of BHS! Please remember that your attitude at clinics can effect your position as a potential BHS cheerleader. Smile, smile, smile!!
We have an experienced, well- trained coaching staff! Please listen to their advice and comments at clinics and trust that their constructive criticism is in your best interest.

24. Some Helpful Hints
If you have any serious previous injuries or medical conditions, they must be shared with coaches on your medical release form. If you have a serious medical condition that could require medical assistance as a result of physical activity, please touch base with coaches on the first day of clinics to share any procedures or precautions.

25. How to prepare for tryouts
Watch yourself in a mirror
Videotape yourself
Teach a family member or friend the material to help you practice
Practice with friends
Ask a senior/ team member to help you during breaks at clinics

26. What if I don’t make it?
We will not reveal tryout scores/ teacher’s evaluations/ coach’s evaluations to any cheerleader or parent. If you do not make the team, please do not contact us regarding scores. We will be happy to share with you what you may need to work on to be successful at tryouts next year via .
We encourage this contact to be done by the student athlete, instead of a parent.
Our individual meetings should help provide information to help you continue to work on your skills.

27. Money Uniforms- Uniform cost is $200.
Warm- ups- Mandatory for all cheerleaders. Will be the same for all teams to keep consistency. If you have one from last year, no need to purchase new. $60
Practice clothing- Mandatory practice clothes will be approximately $75-$100 total.
Uniform Accessories- Each cheerleader must purchase 1 pair of competition shoes($58), BHS cheer socks ($5), briefs ($12), 1 bodysuit ($21), 1 winter headband ($8).
Optional Items- Sweatshirts, bags…available for family members as well!

28. Money
Payment Plans available- We will send home information with your daughter after tryouts. If you plan on needing a payment plan, YOU MUST follow the directions listed to contact us about this. It takes a lot to focus our small budget around doing this for our families and we need to plan ahead.
Share the responsibility!!! Make a plan with your child to share the costs through after school jobs, babysitting or chores around the house.
Individual fundraising that can be applied to your costs. We will hold a fundraiser IMMEDIATELY after tryouts that can cover the ENTIRE cost of cheerleading!

29. Money
NEXT MEETING- 4/27/09!
You will need 1 check made out to BHS for $100 for summer camp practices.
That night, we will take all sizing and orders for practice clothes and uniforms.
We will also begin our fundraiser.
After the fundraiser, we will send you a bill for your balance. Payments will be due on June 1st.
If you do a payment plan, payments will be due June 1st, July 1st and August 1st.

30. Important Dates
Information Form, Release Form, Summer Conflicts, Teacher Recs- DUE FIRST DAY OF CLINICS, Tuesday, 4/14
THIS IS YOUR FIRST TEST IN RESPONSIBILITY!! DON’T FAIL IT!!!!

31. Important Dates
Clinics- in GYMNASTICS GYM unless otherwise told at clinics.
Tuesday, 4/14, 6-8 pm
Wednesday, 4/15, 6-8pm
Thursday, 4/16, 6-8 pm…….may run late, will try to get young ones out as early as possible.
Teams- will be notified on Thursday after tryouts.

32. Contacting Us
If you have questions between now and tryouts, please us at
If you have further needs or need to contact us, please call the AD’s office at BHS.

33. Big Commitment = Big Decision
Go home tonight and read the handout and documents on the website.
We recommend that you discuss this commitment as a family. This is not only a commitment for the student- athlete; it is a commitment for your family.
Make sure that you are 100% dedicated to being a high school athlete. If you are, we’ll see you next Tuesday!

34. Any Questions???